Sunday, October 26, 2014

'Chasing Rain: Episode One' by Ariel Adams


Blurb:

Rayne, a vampire-human hybrid, decides her eighteenth birthday is the perfect time to demand more independence from her coven and the wolf shifters hired to protect her. But no one can protect her heart from the pack's alpha, Blaze.

When a moment of passion has near lethal consequences, it only proves that water and fire don't mix.

In episode one, Rayne realizes her affection for the man that has been her bodyguard since birth is more than just a young girl's crush. Can Blaze follow his heart, or will his moral code prevent him from pursuing what he knows is meant to be?

Anyone who loves the wolves in Twilight or True Blood will enjoy this serialized novel.



Excerpt:
Blaze and Rayne had been running for hours when her body stiffened in pain. She grabbed her stomach and sank to her knees. 
He slid to a stop, leaving deep gouges in the dirt with his claws, then shifted immediately. He didn’t wait for Rayne to toss him his shorts or turn around. He didn’t even warn her to close her eyes. She’d never seen anyone shift before. One instant he was a beautiful grey wolf. The next, a man. A gorgeous, ripped and very naked man. She caught a brief glimpse of his most private parts then slammed her eyes shut. 
Blaze gently pried his shorts from her fist. 
She cracked one eye, but he’d already turned his back, so she opened the other. This view was almost as impressive as the other. He jerked his shorts on then spun around as he zipped them. 
If Blaze was embarrassed about Rayne seeing him naked, he didn’t show it. He placed his hand on her forehead. "What's going on? You feel a little warmer than usual. Your heart rate is a little elevated. Do you have a fever?” 
Ever since Blaze started his EMT training, he was even more of a worrywart than usual. 
“My heart rate is elevated because I was running.” Rayne pushed his hand off her forehead. “And I’ve never had a fever before so how would I know?”

The concerned look on his face tweaked her conscience for snapping at him. “I’m sorry. I've been feeling a little irritable lately." 
She bit her lower lip and dropped her gaze to the ground as she thought about her violent mood swings. Irritable didn't begin to cover it. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I cry at things I used to just laugh at. I get extremely angry without much provocation. I'm always screaming at Kane to 'bite me'." Her face flushed with shame. She was the one doing all the biting. "But right now, the main thing that's bugging me are these damn stomach cramps.” 
She was in Blaze's arms and flying through the jungle on the way back to the compound before she even realized he’d picked her up. Her cheek pressed against his naked chest. She didn’t mean to read his mind, but the sudden skin to skin contact caught her off guard. 
His thoughts raced even faster than his heart. He was afraid.  
"Blaze, stop. I’m fine. Really.” 
Got to get her back to the compound so Weston can figure out what’s wrong. 
"No, Blaze! I don't want to be poked and prodded all night. Those titanium needles really hurt!" There were very few things that could pierce her deceptively tough hybrid skin. Titanium happened to be one of them. 
But Blaze didn’t listen to a word she said. He didn’t even acknowledge her objections in his mind. His thoughts jumped from one medical emergency to the next…appendicitis, parasitic infection, cancer.
They barely made it through the gate when Dad ran up to Blaze and snatched Rayne out of his arms. She was on the examination table in Weston’s medical hut before she could blink. 
Weston was already gowned and gloved with his instruments laid out in the sterile operating room. Baylee shooed everyone outside while Elise stripped Rayne and swiped her stomach with an orange liquid. 
Everything was happening too fast. “What’re you doing?” 
“Blaze thinks you might have appendicitis.” 
“He also thinks I have parasites and cancer.” 
“There’s no way to know what’s going on until Weston examines you.” 
Rayne grabbed Elise’s arm. “Don’t let him cut me open.”

Weston used his titanium needles to draw enough blood to feed an entire coven of vampires for a week. He also examined every part of Rayne. Elise stayed with her and held her hand. It helped, but Rayne couldn’t keep tears of humiliation from running into her ears as she stared at the waterfall poster tacked to the ceiling. At least she didn’t need any surgeries. 
Weston nodded at Elise. 
She let go of Rayne’s hand then nodded back. 
Rayne wished they’d just speak out loud. She hated that she couldn’t read their thoughts without touching them. Her gaze darted between Elise and Weston. “What’s wrong with me?” 
Elise’s eyes brimmed with tears, but her smile was one of pure joy, not sympathy. Weston’s face also bore a grin that lit up his entire countenance. 
“Why are you two so happy?” 
Elise leaned over and kissed Rayne’s forehead, sharing her thoughts. You aren't sick. You’re fertile.” 
Rayne walked from the infirmary to the house in a daze. Female vampires were sterile. Rayne had been conceived when Mom was still human. She didn’t agree to let Weston turn her until after they found Cooper and learned that Rayne was also immortal. Mom didn’t want to watch her baby grow old and die while she remained forever young. Rayne learned all this before anyone realized she could read and, more importantly, understand their thoughts. 
As soon as they figured it out, the vamps and shifters learned to keep at least one layer of cloth between themselves and Rayne if they didn’t want her to know what they were thinking. 
Blaze’s voice was the first to reach Rayne’s ears. “I’m not leaving until someone tells me what’s wrong with Rayne.” 
She froze in her tracks and grabbed Elise’s hand. “Don’t tell Blaze.” 
Elise cocked her head to the side and frowned. “Why on earth not?” 
“It’s embarrassing.” 
“Oh, sweetheart.” Elise cupped Rayne’s face with her palms. “This is exciting, miraculous news.” 
“Dad doesn’t think so.” He sounded angry as he ordered Blaze to leave. 
“She’s got stomach cramps!” Blaze shouted at Dad. Not a wise thing to do. “If you know what’s wrong, why won’t you tell me?” 
“Because it’s none of your business.” 
“She has cramps, Blaze.” Mom used her peacekeeper voice. “Think about it. Remember Mrs. Sander’s health class?” 
The house fell completely silent. 
Rayne counted her heartbeats. One. Two. Three. Four. 
“Are you shitting me?” Blaze laughed. “Why didn’t you just say so?” 
Rayne’s face burned. So did her eyes. She blinked furiously. Blaze was laughing at her.

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Author bio:

Ariel Adams is a best-selling young adult author under a different pen name. She has had an overactive imagination since she was a child and is finally able to fully express all the crazy through her fun and sometimes broken characters. Please contact her with questions or feedback at arieladamsbooks@gmail.com. Visit Ariel at http://arieladamsbooks.blogspot.com/


Books by Ariel Adams

Naked Edge, Season 1 Episode 1
Naked Edge, Season 1 Episode 2
Naked Edge, Season 1 Episode 3
Naked Edge, Season 1 Episode 4


Chasing Rain, Episode 1
Chasing Rain, Episode 2
Chasing Rain, Episode 3

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